Director Babak Anvari released Under the Shadow in 2016 to widespread critical acclaim, showcasing his talent for psychological horror. His latest film, Hallow Road, features a three-person cast, but only two characters are ever shown on-screen. We spoke with Anvari and star Megan McDonnell before the film’s screening at the 2025 Overlook Film Festival.
Hallow Road stars Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys as a married couple whose daughter, voiced by Megan McDonnell, calls frantically in the middle of the night after a car accident in a remote area. As the couple anxiously drives to her location, the drive takes many unexpected twists and turns.
Much of the film takes place in the car, with the two on-screen characters responding to one another and the mystery of what is happening on the phone with their daughter. We asked Babak Anvari about the challenges this presented. He explained, “Well, the challenge, as you said, is how to keep the tension going within this contained environment. But, you know, us filmmakers are masochists, as I always say.”
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The director seemed more than up to the task, not wanting to change the original script to allow for more locations. “When I read the script written by the amazing William Gillies, I was like, oh, it’s 90% in the car. And I told the producers we need to keep it 90% in the car. He [Gillies] actually, just to be safe, had certain suggestions that we cut to, like the car driving down the road, just to get more. I was like, no, no, no, I want to keep it in the car and keep it claustrophobic,” he told us.
Although Megan McDonnell appears only in a photo, much of the film relies on her voice and delivery to maintain the terror and mystery. We asked about auditioning for the role of Alice, and she explained, “It was kind of a mad one because, when I heard about the audition, it was ‘You’re a voice, and you’re going to be just talking to these two other actors.’ I didn’t know who they were as well in the beginning. So, when I found out who they were, I was absolutely terrified. But it was really cool.”
McDonnell was in the unique position of only being heard, which could have complicated things for some actors, but she found the experience “more freeing.” She expanded on this, saying, “Because you’re not going, I have a camera in my face, and there’s this angle and that angle. It was, oh, I can just focus on the horror of it all. Because as well, the character, she can’t see her mum and dad. So it was just, I’m listening to what they’re giving me.”
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Anvari, discussing the logistics, interjects, “Well, you had a room right next to the set, and you used to call it the trauma booth. Poor Megan had to put herself through that trauma repeatedly, for like 12 hours a day, screaming and crying. So she’s making it sound easy, but we were all really worried about her.”
Hallow Road was produced by XYZ Films, LNDN, and Two and Two Pictures. It will be released in the UK and Ireland on May 16 through Universal Pictures. The US distribution has not yet been announced.